The present invention is directed to an optical communication cable having a plurality of separate bundles or trunk groups, with each bundle containing light waveguides which are loosely surrounded by a protective covering.
A cable having a plurality of individual bundles or trunk groups is disclosed in German Published Application No. 32 00 760. The individual bundles or trunk groups are all identically constructed and also contain the same number of light waveguides.
In the framework of local cable networks constructed with light waveguides, it is necessary to design the cables to be as branching-friendly as possible. At these branchings themselves, only a very limited number of fibers or waveguides are normally being removed from the light waveguide cable or, respectively, from the bundle union in order to be able to conduct the waveguides to the individual subscriber station. In accordance with such a network structure, a cable could, in fact, be constructed of a relatively great number of bundle leads, each containing only a few light waveguides. However, this would result in that the cable would become relatively extensive and bulky. Moreover, such a structure has the disadvantage that a relatively great number of the bundle leads laid in the starting area of the link are required only over a relatively short length and an unnecessarily great outlay thus arises given a full design of the cable for the overall length. When, by contrast, the cable is quite specifically constructed and manufactured for the respective application, then underutilized fiber links are, in fact, hardly present, but a great multiplicity of types occur.